Category Archives: Placido Polanco

NOTE: News broke yesterday, but no one from the site was available to post it until this morning.

Phillies 2B Chase Utley. (Matt Slocum/AP)

After a month — since August 29 to be exact — of fielding ground balls at the hot corner and the discussion that followed, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley will not play third base in the final six games of the season for the Phillies.

The Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro and manager Charlie Manuel simply told Utley before Friday’s 2-1 loss to Miami that they were going to not pursue the idea of Utley at third base. They both felt that the six remaining games was not enough of a sample size to evaluate Utley at that position.

“I don’t know if it’s a matter whether or not he can do it,” Amaro said. “I think it’s more a matter of practicality and what’s really best for the team overall. While having that option would be helpful, I don’t know if it’s really an option that’s going to make us necessarily better.”

Amaro also added, “”In retrospect, it would be difficult to make a real assessment in six games, to watch this guy play and say, ‘OK, we know Chase Utley is going to be an average defender and better for our team.’ That’s a very difficult thing to be able to assess. None of us are good enough scouts to be able to do that.”

Phillies second baseman Chase Utley made waves in the past few weeks with his new found interest in playing third base.

But before the Phillies plan to experiment with Utley’s interest in third base in a real-game scenario, two things need to occur.

First, Utley needs to go to Charlie Manuel and say that he is 100 percent confident in his abilities to field the ball and make the throw from third base, a big step from playing second base his entire Major League career.

Second, the Phillies will need to fall out of playoff contention.

The Phillies are currently four games out of the Wild Card with 15 games to play. St. Louis is four games ahead while Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh all lie in between.

POLANCO’S SEASON DONE — The 2012 season has come to a close for third baseman Placido Polanco.

The Phillies put Polanco on the 15-day DL with back inflammation, but with it being in September it is easy to think he will stay there for the remainder of the season. This will enable Kevin Frandsen to play every day until the season ends.

Polanco did say he hopes to play again next season. He has an option for $5 million with the Phillies next season, but a $1 million buyout that Ruben Amaro is likely to use.

There is a big question mark stamped next to the third baseman’s name for the 2013 season. It’s a position that hasn’t had a consistent inhabitant since Scott Rolen was traded in 2002.

A few guys like David Bell, Pedro Feliz and Placido Polanco were supposed to be main-stays. But only Polanco managed to make an All-Star appearance.

It’s also a position that has fielded the likes of Abraham Nunez, Greg Dobbs, Wes Helms and Ty Wigginton.

The future for third base still doesn’t look bright for the Phillies. General manager Ruben Amaro already knows this, and he’s already tried addressing it at the deadline.

Philadelphia exercised the option of plucking top third base prospect Mike Olt from the Texas Rangers in a deal centered around Cliff Lee but nothing ever came to fruition for both clubs. Olt would have given the Phillies their first real third baseman since Rolen, and a prospect to be truly excited about since Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

They also were named as one of the teams interested in acquiring Padres third baseman Chase Headley.

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco will not be in tonight’s lineup for the Phillies for the second straight game and third time in four games.

Polanco had an MRI on his lower back today and his status is unknown at this point.

Matt Gelb writes that this could be “problematic” for the Phillies, who may want to trade the 36-year-old third baseman to a contending team. Baltimore was reportedly interested in Polanco but if he has back issues it may kill his trade value.

DENVER — The Phillies got their second half off to a good start with a series win in Colorado.

Backed by Hunter Pence’s three-run homer and Cole Hamels’ eight innings of brilliance, the Phillies beat the Rockies, 5-1, Sunday afternoon. The win was the Phillies second in a row, giving them a series win in the rubber match.

It was an ordinary pitcher’s dual through the four innings with the Phillies holding a 2-0 lead. But Rockies starter Drew Pomeranz got himself into a little but of trouble in the 5th and Hunter Pence made him pay.